Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Why Cafe au Lait Dahlias are a Garden Favorite
- Choosing the Best Spot for Your Dahlias
- When to Plant Cafe au Lait Dahlias
- Preparing Your Soil
- A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting
- Early Care and Growing Tips
- Summer Maintenance for Large Blooms
- Growing Cafe au Lait in Containers
- Harvesting Flowers for Arrangements
- Protecting Against Pests
- Preparing for Next Year
- Safety for Pets
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
There is a unique kind of magic that happens in the garden when a flower finally opens its petals. For many of us, Cafe au Lait dahlia is the variety that turns a casual interest in flowers into a lifelong passion for gardening. The massive, pillowy blooms and the soft, shifting shades of creamy blush and pale peach make it a standout favorite in any landscape. At Longfield Gardens, we know that while this dahlia looks like a high-maintenance masterpiece, it is actually quite achievable for gardeners of all skill levels.
This guide is designed to help you navigate the process of growing these stunning dinnerplate dahlias from start to finish. We will cover everything from selecting the right spot in your yard to the specific planting depths and early care routines that lead to success. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro, our goal is to make your gardening experience as rewarding and straightforward as possible.
By following a few simple steps, you can enjoy a season filled with incredible, dinnerplate-sized flowers that look just as beautiful in a vase as they do on the plant. For more ideas, browse our dahlia collections.
Why Cafe au Lait Dahlias are a Garden Favorite
Cafe au Lait is widely considered the "gold standard" of dahlias. It belongs to the dinnerplate category, which means its flowers can reach a staggering 8 to 10 inches in diameter. The petals are often described as having a silky texture, and they arranged themselves in a lush, informal pattern that gives the bloom a romantic, ruffled appearance.
One of the most fascinating things about this variety is its color. A single plant can produce flowers that range from a deep, blush pink to a pale, milky cream—sometimes all at once. This natural variation is part of the charm. Because the colors are so soft and versatile, they are the top choice for wedding florists and home arrangers alike, and our richly textured dahlia collection shows how beautifully different forms can work together.
While they are famous for their beauty, they are also vigorous growers. Once they get established, these plants can reach 3 to 4 feet in height. They act almost like flowering shrubs during the peak of summer, providing a dense backdrop of dark green foliage that makes the pastel blooms pop. If you love oversized flowers, the large-flowering dahlia collection is another great place to look.
Choosing the Best Spot for Your Dahlias
Success begins with "right plant, right place." Before you even pick up a shovel, you need to find the area of your yard where these dahlias will be happiest. For a broader primer, see All About Dahlias.
The Importance of Sunlight
Dahlias are sun worshippers. To produce those massive 10-inch blooms, the plant needs a significant amount of energy from the sun. Aim for a spot that receives at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight every day. If they are planted in too much shade, the stems will become "leggy" as they stretch for light, and you will see fewer flowers.
Understanding Drainage
Drainage is simply a measure of how fast water leaves the soil after a rain or watering. Dahlias have fleshy tubers that store moisture and nutrients. If these tubers sit in soggy, waterlogged soil, they can easily rot before they even have a chance to sprout.
If you have heavy clay soil that stays wet for a long time, consider planting your dahlias in raised beds. This naturally improves drainage and gives you more control over the soil quality. If you aren't sure about your drainage, watch your garden after a heavy rain. Areas where puddles linger for more than a few hours are usually not the best spots for dahlias.
Give Them Space
Because Cafe au Lait is a large plant, it needs room for air to circulate around the leaves. This helps keep the foliage dry and healthy throughout the summer. Plan to space your plants about 18 to 24 inches apart. This might look like a lot of empty space when you first plant the small tubers, but they will fill in that gap surprisingly quickly.
When to Plant Cafe au Lait Dahlias
Timing is one of the most important factors in dahlia gardening. It is often more important than any specific "trick" or specialized fertilizer.
Follow the Temperature, Not the Calendar
The biggest mistake many gardeners make is planting too early in the spring. Dahlias are native to the warm mountain plateaus of Mexico and cannot tolerate frost. More importantly, the tubers will not start growing until the soil itself is warm.
A good rule of thumb is to wait until you would normally plant your tomatoes or peppers. The soil temperature should be at least 60°F. If you plant into cold, wet soil, the tuber will likely sit dormant and may rot. Depending on where you live in the US, this usually happens between late April and early June.
Shipping and Arrival
When you order from us, we coordinate our shipping information with your specific USDA hardiness zone. This ensures that your tubers arrive at the right time for planting in your area. If your shipment arrives and the ground is still too cold or wet, simply keep the tubers in a cool, dark, and dry place (like a basement or garage) until the weather settles. Keep the bags open slightly so air can circulate.
Key Takeaway: Patience pays off. Waiting for warm soil and the end of all frost threats is the easiest way to ensure your dahlia tubers get a healthy, fast start.
Preparing Your Soil
You don't need a degree in soil science to grow great dahlias, but a little bit of preparation goes a long way. These plants are "heavy feeders," meaning they take a lot of nutrients from the ground to produce their large flowers and foliage.
Boosting Fertility
Before planting, it is helpful to mix some compost or well-rotted manure into the top few inches of your soil. This adds organic matter, which improves both the texture of the soil and its ability to hold onto nutrients.
Avoid High-Nitrogen Fertilizers
While you want fertile soil, you should avoid using lawn fertilizers or any product with very high nitrogen levels. Nitrogen encourages the plant to grow lots of green leaves, but it can actually discourage flower production. Look for a balanced garden fertilizer or one specifically formulated for flowers (often labeled as "bloom boosters") with a higher middle number (phosphorus).
A Step-by-Step Guide to Planting
Now that you have the right spot and the right timing, it is time to get the tubers into the ground. For a full walkthrough, see How to Plant Dahlias.
1. Dig the Hole
Dig a hole that is about 6 to 8 inches deep and about 12 inches wide. This gives the roots plenty of loose soil to expand into as they grow.
2. Place the Tuber
When you look at your dahlia tuber, you are looking for the "eye." This is the small bump or sprout located at the top of the tuber where it meets the old stem.
- If you see the eye, plant the tuber horizontally with the eye facing upward.
- If you don't see the eye yet, don't worry. Just lay the tuber flat on its side.
- If you have a "clump" of tubers (often called a pot-root), plant the whole cluster with the old stem pointing up.
3. Add the Stake First
This is a pro-tip that saves a lot of trouble later. Because Cafe au Lait dahlias get so large and heavy, they must be staked. For more staking tips, see How to Stake Dahlia Tubers. If you wait until the plant is 3 feet tall to drive a stake into the ground, you risk piercing the tuber below the surface. Drive a sturdy wooden or metal stake (at least 5 feet tall) into the hole before you cover the tuber with soil.
4. Cover with Soil
Fill the hole back in with the soil you removed. You want the top of the tuber to be covered by about 4 to 6 inches of soil. This depth protects the tuber from temperature swings and provides a sturdy base for the heavy stems.
5. The "No Water" Rule
This is perhaps the most important rule for planting dahlias. If your soil is already slightly moist, do not water the tubers until you see the first green sprouts poking through the ground. The tuber has enough stored energy and moisture to get started on its own. Adding extra water to a dormant tuber in the ground is the most common cause of rot. Once you see green leaves, you can begin a regular watering schedule.
Early Care and Growing Tips
Once your Cafe au Lait dahlias are in the ground, the next few weeks are all about letting them establish their root systems.
Monitoring for Sprouts
It can take anywhere from two to four weeks for a dahlia sprout to appear above the soil. This depends entirely on the temperature. If the weather is warm, they will pop up quickly. If there is a cool spell, they might take their time. This is a great period to practice patience—the growth is happening underground first!
The Pinching Technique
If you want a bushier plant with more flowers, you should "pinch" your dahlias. When the plant is about 12 inches tall and has three to four sets of leaves, use your fingers or a clean pair of snips to remove the very top of the center stem.
It might feel strange to cut off the top of a healthy plant, but this tells the dahlia to stop growing one tall, lanky stem and instead start growing multiple side branches. More branches mean more flowers!
Staking and Support
As the plant grows, use soft garden twine to tie the main stem to the stake you installed at planting time. For a variety as large as Cafe au Lait, you may need to add a new tie every 12 to 18 inches of growth. This prevents the heavy blooms from snapping the stems during a summer rainstorm or a windy day.
What to do next:
- Once sprouts are 12 inches tall, pinch off the center tip.
- Begin watering deeply once a week (or more in hot weather).
- Check your ties every weekend to make sure the plant is supported.
Summer Maintenance for Large Blooms
As summer hits its stride, your Cafe au Lait dahlias will begin to grow rapidly. This is the most exciting part of the process, as you start to see the first flower buds forming.
Watering Correctly
Instead of giving your plants a light sprinkle every day, it is much better to water them deeply once or twice a week. This encourages the roots to grow deep into the soil where it stays cooler and moister. Aim to water at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves to help prevent mildew.
Fertilizing for Success
If you want to give your plants an extra boost, you can apply a liquid flower fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks during the growing season. Again, stick to a formula that is lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorus and potassium. Stop fertilizing by early September to allow the plant to start preparing for its dormant phase.
Deadheading
To keep the flowers coming all the way until the first frost, you must "deadhead." This means cutting off the flowers as soon as they start to fade. When a plant is allowed to produce seeds, it thinks its job is done and will stop making new buds. By removing the old flowers, you signal to the plant that it should keep blooming.
When you cut a dahlia, don't just snip the head off. Cut the stem back to a point where it meets a leaf or another branch. This keeps the plant looking tidy and encourages more long-stemmed flowers for your bouquets.
Growing Cafe au Lait in Containers
If you don't have a large garden bed, you can still grow Cafe au Lait dahlias in pots. For more container advice, see Can You Plant Dahlia Bulbs in Containers?. However, because this is such a large variety, you need to choose the right container.
- Size Matters: Use a pot that holds at least 5 to 7 gallons of soil. A standard large whiskey barrel or a deep nursery pot works well.
- Drainage: Ensure the pot has plenty of drainage holes.
- Potting Mix: Use a high-quality, well-draining potting soil rather than heavy garden soil.
- Watering and Feeding: Plants in containers dry out much faster than those in the ground. During the heat of July and August, you may need to water your potted dahlias every day. They will also need more frequent fertilizing, as nutrients leach out of pots more quickly.
Harvesting Flowers for Arrangements
One of the best reasons to plant Cafe au Lait is to have fresh flowers for your home. For more bouquet advice, see How to Grow Dahlias for Cut Flowers. These dahlias make incredible cut flowers, but they have a few specific needs once they are harvested.
- Wait for the Bloom: Unlike roses or lilies, dahlias will not open much further once they are cut. Wait until the flower is at least three-quarters of the way open before you harvest it.
- Check the Back: A fresh dahlia will have firm, lush petals on the back of the flower head. If the back petals are starting to look papery or limp, the flower is past its prime.
- Immediate Hydration: Bring a bucket of cool water out to the garden with you. As soon as you cut a stem, place it directly into the water.
- Vase Life: You can expect a vase life of about 4 to 5 days for Cafe au Lait. Keeping them in a cool spot away from direct sunlight will help them last as long as possible.
Protecting Against Pests
While dahlias are generally robust, they can occasionally attract a few visitors. At Longfield Gardens, we recommend a simple, observant approach rather than reaching for heavy chemicals.
- Slugs and Snails: These are most common when the plants are very small and the weather is damp. You can use organic slug bait or simply keep the area around the base of the plant clear of debris.
- Earwigs: These sometimes hide inside the dense petals of the large Cafe au Lait blooms. They are mostly a nuisance. Giving the flowers a gentle shake before bringing them inside is usually enough.
- Japanese Beetles: If these appear, the easiest and most effective method is to hand-pick them and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.
Preparing for Next Year
In most parts of the country, dahlias are treated as annuals or are "lifted" and stored for the winter.
Hardiness Zones
Dahlias are only hardy (meaning they can stay in the ground all winter) in USDA zones 8 through 11. For a quick reference, check the Hardiness Zone Map. In these warmer climates, you can simply cut the stalks down after the first frost and cover the area with a few inches of mulch.
Lifting and Storing
If you live in zone 7 or colder, you will need to dig up the tubers if you want to grow them again next year. For detailed storage help, see How to Overwinter Dahlia Tubers.
- Wait until the first frost blackens the foliage. This tells the plant to send its energy down into the tuber for storage.
- Cut the stalks down to about 4 inches.
- Carefully dig up the tuber clump, starting at least 12 inches away from the stem to avoid damage.
- Wash off the soil and let the tubers dry in a frost-free, shady area for a day or two.
- Store the tubers in a box filled with peat moss, vermiculite, or wood shavings. Keep the box in a cool, dark, and dry place (around 40-45°F is ideal) until next spring.
Safety for Pets
It is important to note that dahlias are considered toxic to dogs, cats, and horses if ingested. While they are not usually life-threatening, they can cause digestive upset and skin irritation. If you have curious pets, it is a good idea to plant your dahlias in an area of the garden that is not easily accessible to them, or to monitor them closely when they are near the plants.
Conclusion
Growing Cafe au Lait dahlias is one of the most rewarding experiences a gardener can have. There is a profound sense of accomplishment when you hold a flower the size of a dinner plate that you grew from a single tuber. By focusing on the basics—warm soil, plenty of sun, sturdy staking, and proper drainage—you are setting yourself up for a summer filled with breathtaking beauty.
At Longfield Gardens, we take pride in providing high-quality tubers that are true to variety and ready to thrive in your garden. We stand behind our plants with a 100% Quality Guarantee because we want your gardening journey to be as successful as possible. Whether this is your first time planting dahlias or your fiftieth, the thrill of that first Cafe au Lait bloom never fades.
Final Checklist for Success:
- Wait for soil to reach 60°F before planting.
- Select a spot with 6+ hours of sun and great drainage.
- Install your stake at the same time you plant the tuber.
- Don't water until you see the first green sprout.
- Pinch the plant at 12 inches for more blooms.
The most important step is simply to get started. Order your tubers, pick your sunniest spot, and get ready for a spectacular season of color.
FAQ
How deep should I plant my Cafe au Lait dahlia tubers?
You should plant the tubers about 4 to 6 inches deep. Dig a hole roughly 6 to 8 inches deep, place the tuber horizontally (on its side) or with the "eye" pointing up, and cover it with several inches of soil. This depth provides the plant with stability and protects the tuber from temperature fluctuations. If you want a complete walkthrough, see How to Plant Dahlias.
Do Cafe au Lait dahlias need to be staked?
Yes, staking is essential for this variety. Because Cafe au Lait produces massive 8 to 10-inch blooms on plants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall, the stems can become very heavy. Without support, the weight of the flowers or a heavy rain can easily cause the stems to snap. It is best to put your stake in the ground at the time of planting to avoid damaging the tuber later.
When will my Cafe au Lait dahlias start blooming?
Generally, you can expect Cafe au Lait dahlias to begin blooming about 80 to 100 days after planting. This variety is often a mid-to-late summer bloomer, with the most prolific flowering occurring as the nights begin to cool down in late August and September. Once they start, they will continue to bloom until the first hard frost.
Why hasn't my dahlia tuber sprouted yet?
Dahlia tubers can be slow to wake up, sometimes taking 2 to 4 weeks to show green growth above the soil. The most common reason for a delay is soil temperature; if the ground is still cool (below 60°F), the tuber will remain dormant. Ensure you aren't overwatering during this stage, as too much moisture before the plant has leaves can lead to rot.